Page 43 - AirForces - Monthly (February 2020)

too costly to maintain, had very little operational VFC-111 uses contract services for the maintenance
life left and needed to be retired. The service of its aircraft. For many years, Sikorsky Maintenance
replaced them using recently purchased Swiss and Services handled this work but, in July 2015,
PAE Applied Technologies was awarded a US$68.4m
F-5E airframes. The three ‘new’ F-5Fs, nicknamed contract to take over responsibility from July 2016.
‘Franken-Tigers’, were built using parts from
former US Navy two-seat F-5Fs and from single-
seat, former Swiss Air Force F-5Es. The two-seat
cockpit and tail portion of navy F-5Fs 75-0756
(from VFC-111), 75-0753 (VFC-13) and 84-0456
(VMFT-401) were ‘bolted on’ to the newer centre
sections of former Swiss F-5Es 81-0834/J-
3075, 76-1586/J-3061 and 76-1580/J-3055.
The first ‘Franken-Tiger’ made its maiden
flight on November 25, 2008 and was delivered
to VMFT-401 on December 9, 2008. The second
arrived with VFC-111 on December 19, 2008,
and the third went to VFC-13 in January 2010.
The F-5N programme was completed on
April 29, 2009, when the 44th aircraft left
Northrop’s facilities in Florida. Thirty of these
airframes were equally distributed between
the US Navy’s VFC-13 and VFC-111 and
another 11 went to VMFT-401 at Yuma. End of the line?
Last October, the USAF awarded four
Operations today Recently the US Navy announced it is companies five-year Adversary Air (AdAir)
Most VFC-111 missions today are flown in the planning to remove the F-5Ns from service contracts worth US$6.4bn. One of these private
Key West Complex located in the Gulf of Mexico between 2028 and 2030 when the aircraft contractors, Tactical Air Support Inc (TacAir),
and the Straits of Florida, off the coast of Cuba. will have reached their 8,000 flight hours based in Reno, Nevada, acquired a fleet of 21
All the aircraft can be over the vast range within limit. At the same time the service aims to ex-Jordanian F-5E/Fs in 2017 and immediately
minutes of taking off. The entire area is covered focus on upgrading its threat-level simulation, began developing an upgrade for the aircraft
by the Tactical Aircrew Training Combat System to a standard beyond the MiG-21. at its facilities in St Augustine, Florida. In
(TACTS) and is almost entirely devoted to DACT. Northrop’s small and agile fighters are late 2018 the company was awarded a five-
TACTS provides real-time tracking of jets considered ideal for the enemy threat simulation year, US$107m US Navy contract to provide
engaged in air combat and it has a replay role – they are simple to maintain, without adversary services, in addition to training to
function to help assess each aerial duel, with complex systems, and have low operating help air and ship crews counter electronic
aircraft position data and the outcome of each costs. Their value is so important that the US threats. NAVAIR is now planning to apply a
missile shot. NAS Key West was the first navy Department of Defense’s US$718bn Fiscal similar upgrade, based on the TacAir project,
installation to receive the P5 Combat Training Year 2020 budget included US$39.7m to to the fleet of navy and marine corps examples,
System/Tactical Combat Training System (CTS/ acquire a further 22 F-5E/Fs from Switzerland, including a new cockpit and modern avionics.
TCTS) in 2006. Developed by Cubic Defence to supplement and in some cases replace Other adversary contractors help plug
Applications, this allows interoperability the 43 aircraft currently in service. training gaps as they emerge. Draken
with the USAF and other allies using the P5 In the meantime, in order to reduce the International has acquired South African
system and has proved to be a valuable asset pressure on the existing fleet distributed Cheetahs and Spanish Mirage F1s,
for VFC-111. The CTS/TCTS pod is mounted among the three squadrons, Naval Air while the Airborne Tactical Advantage
on the missile launch rail on the left wingtip Systems Command (NAVAIR) – the US Navy Company (ATAC) bought 63 former French
of each F-5. The GPS-based store provides organisation responsible for integrating aircraft Mirage F1s that are being assembled
precise, continuous tracking of each aircraft systems – continues to seek other Tiger IIs and tested in Fort Worth, Texas.
involved in the mission and collects a diverse around the world. As they are today, the navy’s Until a long-term replacement for the
cache of in-flight data, including real-time F-5s can only realistically simulate a MiG-21 F-5 arrives, these credible and affordable
kill notification for the aircrew and real-time threat level, a limitation that will be overcome adversaries will continue to dogfight o ver
weapon scoring for long-range weapon shots. under a new incentive to modernise these jets. the sunny skies of the Florida Keys. AFM
Left: Best of enemies: F-5N 761591 ‘AF-111’ and an F/A-18F prepare to launch for a DACT mission. Primary
customers for the ‘Sundowners’ are the US Navy’s three Hornet/Growler FRS units: VFA-106 ‘Gladiators’ at NAS
Oceana, VFA-122 ‘Flying Eagles’ at NAS Lemoore and VAQ-129 ‘Vikings’ at NAS Whidbey Island. Below: ATAC
Hunters – also former Swiss Air Force jets – join three ‘Sundowners’ Tiger IIs for a DACT mission out of Key West.
As part of their training, large Red Air adversary forces are thrown at fleet pilots during air wing workups.

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